Nationwide, Current Conditions Beyond the shopping mall, the tornado crossed a greenbelt area, skirted Midwestern University on its south side, and severely damaged several more housing additions (Colonial Park, Hursh, Southmoor, Southwinds, and Southern Hills). The tornado moved eastward, was a visible as a column of dust that extended from the ground to the base of its parent thunderstorm, and was probably a landspout tornado. Continuing east-northeastward, the violent tornado destroyed a large portion of a residential neighborhood before heavily damaging a commercial building along Southwest Parkway. The storm occurred in a largely uninhabited area, but heavily damaged a barn by unroofing it and buckling two of the barn walls outward. Sep 18, 2004. Watch on. There we hoped the dryline and warm front would intersect with a strong jet stream. Weather Radio, About Us On the first street of houses to the northeast of Wolfgang Lange's apartment complex, Robert Molet also photographed the approaching tornado (Tornado Track Figure; Location #3). Forecast Discussion, Warnings and Other Products The spring of 1979 was a very active tornado period for the plains states. The majority of the fatalities were in vehicles, and a number of those victims left homes that were undamaged by the tornado only to be caught in its deadly path as they tried to flee. April 3, 1964 - A violent tornado struck the northwest section of Wichita Falls and Sheppard Air Force Base, killing 7 persons and injuring 111 other people. Severe damage in the Pruitt City area. The storm's second tornado, the terrible Wichita Falls tornado, formed at 1755 CST (5:55 PM) to the southwest of the city and moved through the southern and eastern sides of Wichita Falls shortly after 1800 CST (6:00 PM). ", "About the time the Vernon tornado was moving across the Red River into Oklahoma, 20 miles to the south another funnel cloud was dropping out of the thunderstorm clouds approaching Harrold, Texas. In addition to the tornado, severe thunderstorm winds moved through the Wichita Falls area, downing trees, limbs, and power poles. Mr. Molet continued to take photographs until the wind blew him into his garage. One piece of farm equipment was destroyed and damage occurred to fences and trees. The moonlight felt like a reminder of the pain and sorrow that awaited him as he stared at its yellow haze. The passage of a violent tornado through an 8-mile section of a city is an almost unheard-of natural disaster. Inevitably each year some sector of Texas suffers from the effects of a tornado strike, a blinding snowstorm, a violent hail-bearing thunderstorm, or a raging sand- or dust storm. Local I had a good full frame shot of the suction spots rotating about the base of the funnel. It seems that almost every major Texas city has had to deal with a tornado at least once. Over 100 commercial businesses, some of them large manufacturing concerns, were destroyed. April 10, 1979: The worst single tornado in Texas' history hit Wichita Falls. Winter Weather Safety, Special Programs A detailed mapping of each house and public/commercial building in the city led to the construction of an F-scale map. Minor damage occurred to some fences and the area. In addition, 93 mobile homes were devastated. US Dept of Commerce Flood Warnings Satellite Imagery, Forecasts The number of reported injuries approached 1,800 although hundreds of additional minor injuries were never recorded. It was a large, but distant funnel that may have been the beginning of the horrific tornado that moved through that city. The tornado continued into Clay County, resulting in no deaths, but 40 additional injuries. Dr. Ted Fujita of the University of Chicago used these surveys to estimate the F-scale and probable wind speeds associated with the tornado. Please try another search. The formation of the tornado and its movement toward the Memorial Stadium and McNiel Junior High School were captured by Wolfgang Lange from the front of his apartment complex which was across the street from school building (Tornado Track Figure; Location #2). Caused a total of $449,000 in damage. A few hours earlier that day, another tornado tore through Vernon, killing 10 residents and injuring more than 60 others. One thousand and sixty-two apartment units and condominiums were demolished and 130 damaged. The inner hallways would have been the only relatively safe shelter in the building. (Documented and rated F2 by Grazulis. (Documented and rated F2 by Grazulis. Heavy lake effect snow, strong winds, and reduced visibilities continue downwind of the Great Lakes. Huge pieces of debris thrown high in the air were clearly visible from miles away as the storm cut a swath of destruction through the city. Pinterest. Wolfgang Lange, View looking southwest near Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas at the approaching tornado. However, several small communities, among them Harrold, Texas and Grandfield, Oklahoma, were hit by the storm. Non Precipitation Warnings We continued south passing a damage path across the highway from the Harrold tornado. Then the supercell spawned one that killed three people in Lawton, Oklahoma. A large number of roofs were damaged at the air base, and buildings at the Wichita Valley Airport also suffered roof damage. During its life, radar-derived storm tops exceeded 50,000 feet and reflectivities were higher than 50 dBZ. The Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak, one of the most significant outbreaks on record for this region, occurred on April 10, 1979. On that day, at least 13 separate tornadoes touched down in the Texas/Oklahoma area, striking Wichita Falls, Vernon, Seymour, and a number of other towns. The twister, which had a wide funnel, shrouded the community in darkness as it swept eastward south of Vernon and along the east side of the city, resulting in millions of dollars in damage and 11 directly killed by the tornado (10 in Vernon and 1 in Lockett, TX). Eddie was trying to tell me something; finally with some tugging, he got my attention. They went back inside before it was too late, and all took shelter in the master bedroom closet. The northeastern mesocyclone in the mesocyclone pair was the occluding parent circulation of the Seymour tornado while the southwestern mesocyclone in the pair was the developing parent circulation of the Wichita Falls tornado. Tornado left suction vortex marks in open fields. Multiple locations were found. Despite passing north of the Sikes Senter Shopping Mall, intense winds from the outer circulation of the tornado heavily damaged a few stores and blew many cars in the mall's parking lot some distance away from where they originated and stacked on top of each other. The destruction in Wichita Falls resulted in 42 dead, 1,740 injured, over 3,000 homes destroyed and damage of approximately $400 million. By mid-afternoon the surface low had migrated northeastward toward the northern Low Rolling Plains, where steep pressure falls of up to 8mb or more in three hours were observed (Figure 16 insert). It is estimated that 5,000 families, consisting of almost 20,000 people, were left homeless in Wichita Falls. If I had the opportunity to chase this one over I certainly would do it differently, but considering we were on visual back then we didn't do too bad. The atmosphere in the Low Rolling Plains was highly unstable (with a Totals Index above 50 and a strong positive K Index extending southward out of western Oklahoma); very vigorous lifting of such unsettled air by the advancing dry line seemed sure to trigger violence (Figure 14). (Rated F2 by the NWS.). A very intense spring storm shifted out of the Rocky Mountains on April 10, generating lines of severe thunderstorms that swept across the northern portion of the State. We examined the circumstances of death and injury among victims of the tornado that struck Wichita Falls, Texas, on 10 April 1979. Crossing into Oklahoma, the tornado inflicted additional damage near Waurika before dissipating. Fifty mph sustained inflow winds were occurring at this time. By dusk a strong of new, very intense thunderstorms formed farther south in Texas. So they adopt the religion of Christianity. We would like to give special recognition to Don Burgess of the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (CIMMS) in Norman for compiling and archiving most of the information contained within these web pages. In addition, approximately 140 mobile homes were destroyed, two schools were demolished and 11 others sustained serious damage. The police chief and sheriff later said the approaching storm did not look like a normal twister, but appeared as a thick, dark mass of clouds low to the ground and difficult to see because of the heavy rain, hail, and low cloud base. Also, the second story of the press box at the high school football stadium was blown off and scattered across the playing field. Tornado statistics for older years like this often appear significantly lower than modern years due to fewer reports or confirmed tornadoes. The twister moved east-northeastward across the northern part of the city, and continued into Clay County before lifting at 6:10 pm CST near the town of Dean. Witnesses saw several small twisters during the formation. The tornado blew many of those vehicles off those roadways, inflicting numerous fatalities. 1 Wilbarger County, TX. (Documented and rated F2 by Grazulis. The tornado then destroyed several industrial plants before moving into Clay County just south of TX State Highway 79. Continuing at F4 intensity, the now massive wedge tornado, which was at its maximum 1.5 miles (2.4km) wide, cut a 2.5-mile (4.0km) swath of destruction through the south side of town. The most devastating tornado of the day dipped from a thunderstorm (with a top estimated at 58,000 feet) that was moving northeastward into Wichita Falls at a speed of 35 miles per hour a few minutes before 6:00. Robert Molet. The first in a series of tornadoes struck near Foard City shortly after 3 o'clock destroying several rural homes, barns, and farm equipment. ), June 6, 1936 - A tornado touched down at 5:20 pm CST and moved southeastward over a path of 440 yards wide by four miles long caused damage of $50,000 in Wichita Falls and injured two people, although one person may have been hurt due to a lightning strike. The tornado was coming down, but getting photography was difficult. In addition, the damage paths of all three were wider than normal. We also assessed the protective measures taken by a representative sample of community residents who suffered no major injury in order to estimate the relative risk of injury to people directly in the tornado's path. It sped into Clay County, causing no deaths but 40 injuries and damage in the communities of Dean and Petrolia that amounted to $15 million. We continued to drive east on a dirt road from Mabelle, Texas which is basically an intersection with a couple of old buildings. One thousand and 62 apartment units and condominiums were destroyed, and 93 mobile homes were demolished. A storm appeared on the horizon that had developed far to our south near Abilene. This storm appeared insignificant compared to what we had seen so we drifted southwest in search of something better. Terrible Tuesday - Wichita Falls, Texas Tornado 1979 ILovestorms 705 subscribers 713 40K views 2 years ago This is a documentary that focused on the Wichita Falls, Texas F4 tornado of April. April 10, 1979 - The tornado, which was part of a tornado outbreak in the Red River valley area, began at 5:50 pmCST on the southwest flank of its parent supercell thunderstorm about 3 miles east-northeast of Holliday. For example, the police chief called the city manager out of a meeting with county commissioners. (Rated F3 by the NWS. Several deaths in the Vernon tornado occurred because persons were caucht in autcmobiles that were tossed 3. Local Storm Reports 45 people died in the Wichita Falls tornado. Just after 5:00 p.m., another tornado spawned by the same thunderstorm system crashed into Lawton, Oklahoma. Severe Weather Safety The last siren from the city's warning system sounded around 5:50 p.m. the same time that storm spotters reported seeing the tornado . Please Contact Us. See the article in its original context from. Apr 20, 2012 - The April 10, 1979 tornado in Wichita Falls. Most of the deaths were in Wichita Falls and Vernon, Texas . There is no doubt that hundreds of lives were saved by the news media and siren warnings. The warnings were being broadcast repeatedly by two local TV stations and three local radio stations which were receiving continuously updated information over the emergency hotline connecting them with the Wichita Falls WSO. After dodging power lines, broken poles, and busted trees we dropped south on US 183/283 on the east side of Vernon. Also nearby, about 10 utility poles were snapped near the top with debris falling on fences and other sheet metal buildings. Although roughly 4,000 homes were struck by the tornado, there were only five fatalities of people inside homes along the path of the tornado. In New York, Ernest W. Brinkman, vice president of the Underwriters Adjusting Company, said that most of the families affected by the tornadoes were getting substantial advance payments from insurance companies for emergency shelter and repairs. The 1979 tornado cut a wide path of destruction through Wichita Falls homes and apartments. The injury count for this tornado was 1,740, the most injuries ever recorded for an F4/EF4 tornado. The Harrold tornado was in its formative stages at about the time the Vernon tornado was crossing the Red River. Mr. Molet continued to take photographs until the wind blew him into his garage. Why the Red River Valley between Childress and Bowie received the most severe outbreak of thunderstorms is explained by Figures 19-26. Other data were supplied by the American National Red Cross. ), May 9, 1951 - A supercell thunderstorm produced a small, narrow tornado that moved east-northeastward along a 5-mile path from Iowa Park to near Wichita Falls. Major damage in the. . View looking west-northwest from south shore of Lake Wichita at the tornado approaching Wichita Falls, Texas. Damage to city property totaled $5 million while Sheppard AFB had $10 million in damages. The Norman Doppler radar was used to collect dense data (0.5o azimuth spacing and 150 meter gate spacing) on the Wichita Falls storm during the interval leading to the formation of the violent tornado. Norman, OKNational Weather Center120 David L. Boren Blvd. Large tornado destroyed several barns and scattered debris over a large area. Total damage in the city was estimated at $400 million; five thousand families (or about 20,000 people) were left homeless. During this time I navigated and Eddie drove. Cool Pictures. Sorry, the location you searched for was not found. Home; Exhibits and Displays After moving out of Faith Village, the tornado flattened several businesses, including a restaurant, on Kemp Boulevard. Unsolved Death in Wichita Falls, TX. On September 25th, 2000, 11 year old Christopher Morris was found in the dishwasher of his family home which was in Sheppard Air Force Base base housing. Surface Maps It looked killer from the beginning. . Does Wichita Texas get tornadoes? The siren system for the city was sounded three times, the last around 5:50 p.m., just as the storm spotters reported the tornado approaching Memorial Stadium in the southwestern suburbs of Wichita Falls. Forecasters at the National Severe Storms Forecast Center in Kansas City1 had to decide only how soon tornadoes would develop and how large an area would be threatened. Tornado F-scale ratings prior to 1950, as well as most tornado data are referenced from Significant Tornadoes, 1680-1991 by T. P. Grazulis. ), August 11, 1953 - This summertime tornado touched down at 7:00 pm CST in Wichita Falls and moved northeastward through the suburbs of the city. A deepening low pressure system formed in Colorado as a warm front lifted north pulling warm, moist, unstable air. (1 death) April 10 - Texas, Oklahoma (11 deaths) April 10 - Texas, . It was on the ground for 11 miles. In this stage, the tornado did extensive damage just south of Dean and near Byars, destroying a large number of rural homes, but causing no more fatalities. 5. Wichita Falls has had three major tornado strikes in its history. The Wichita Falls tornado formed several miles southwest of the city in Archer County, and traveled over mostly open terrain. Winston Wells, Current Hazards Averages and Records Some of these people attempted to run to their cars from the mall. Skywarn Storm Spotters One more more brief tornadoes occurred within a larger area of straight-line wind damage in Lauderdale County. Hail ranged in sizes "from mothballs to pineapples." The Southwest National Bank Building was totally destroyed except for its concrete vault, a proxy for an above-ground shelter. North Texas County DA to seek death penalty for Tanner Horner, man accused of killing Athena Strand. The tornado moved northeastward as was described as a "dirty green funnel." The tornado expanded in size as it crossed Southwest Parkway, throwing automobiles about and leveling a number of businesses, including a bank and a fire station. The most notable tornado was another F4 tornado that destroyed most of the southern part of Wichita Falls, Texas, and is commonly referred to as "Terrible Tuesday" by many . Losses eligible for Federal disaster relief totaled $63 million, but Federal disaster assistance did not cover additional millions in damages. This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 02:48. A woman was injured when her truck rolled into the ditch in which she was taking cover. In the early afternoon hours, three supercell thunderstorms formed. Total property damage in Wichita Falls was estimated at $400,000,000 (in 1979 dollars). We were on our own. WICHITA FALLS, Tex., April 13 (UPI) Survivors of the tornado that devastated the southern part of this oil and agriculture center began burying their dead today while city officials tried. Lighter damage occurred outside of the AFB and no hail was observed. Damage as severe as F4 was found along most of the track across the city. Twenty-five of the deaths were. No fatalities or injuries occurred. We were rushed to get into position. ", 1 The Storm Prediction Center is now located in Norman, Oklahoma We couldn't make it into Wichita Falls because we almost ran out of gas. The Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak of 10 April 1979 Location Help Wintry and Cold Conditions Continue Across Much of the U.S. Wildfire Safety Air Quality The tornadoes caused 32 injuries, 29 deaths, and an estimated $20 million in personal and commercial insured losses. The Terrible Tuesday video can be viewed via the NWS Norman YouTube Channel or below. Homes and businesses were torn apart in the McGehee area. ), March 27, 1939 - This tornado touched down north-northwest of Wichita Falls and moved northeastward into Clay County. The Wichita Falls tornado cut a wide swath of dam. WICHITA FALLS, Texas (TNN) - April 10th, 1979, a day forever ingrained in the minds of those who lived through it. . Approaching Harrold, Texas from the southeast on Highway 287 - view is looking west at 4:00 pm CST. In addition, many businesses, cars, trees, windows, TV antennas, and power poles incurred damage. It first destroyed an apartment complex, where the first fatalities took place, as it moved along Southwest Parkway. 1964, and another in 1979. At the time we passed in front of the funnel the mud road had become slick enough that the car was not going very fast anymore. They were flying by faster than I thought any bird could go; I wonder what they thought After this scene the tornado became wrapped in the rain and difficult to photograph. Please select one of the following: Table 1 -- Casualty and Property Losses -, GOES Visible Satellite Images (1530Z 4/10/1979 - 0014Z 4/11/1979), GOES Infrared Satellite Images (0000Z - 0600Z 4/11/1979). (Documented and rated F2 by Grazulis. Most people heeded the warnings and took shelter inside interior, small rooms in their homes. It damaged several homes and businesses before going into Wichita Falls where it . Three houses were destroyed and several others were damaged. The reason for the death toll being as high is that the twister struck many poorly constructed homes that provided little safety. Meteorologists still refer to that day as Terrible Tuesday because of the immense devastation and the sheer numbers. Two barns were also destroyed and scattered across a field. It was the remains of her home. About the time the tornado entered town, it changed appearance, becoming one large black cloud of condensation and debris. Wind gusts to 100 mph were observed at the observation site. The killer tornadoes that ravaged parts of three Texas communities near the Red River late in the afternoon stemmed from a wave of very intense thunderstorms that developed shortly after noon when a dry line advanced rapidly eastward out of the High Plains ahead of an approaching Pacific cold front. A few intense thunderstorms erupted at about the same time in the northwestern portion of North Central Texas; small hail and high winds raked Gainesville and Decatur during the noon hour. passed away on Thursday, February 23, 2023 in Wichita Falls Texas. After taking his last picture of the approaching tornado, Mr. Lange retreated to the apartment complex laundry room and hid between heavy commercial washers and dryers, escaping with only minor injuries. We knew the storms were coming, but didn't want to meet fast moving cells head-on in the low visibilities north of the warm front. We didn't get phone guidance and it was before on-board equipment. The most notable tornado was another F4 tornado that destroyed most of the southern part of Wichita Falls, Texas, and is commonly referred to as "Terrible Tuesday" by many meteorologists. Graphical Forecasts The two worst damage points appeared to be McNiel Junior High (location #1 on the damage path diagram; photos 9-15 on the damage photo tab) and the Southwest National Bank (location #4; no close-up photographs available). The Wichita Falls tornado alone killed 42 people and caused $400 million in damage ($1.93billion in today's dollars). . Flash Flood Warnings Unlike Mr. Lange, Mr. Molet did not have an unobstructed view of the western horizon and did not immediately recognize that the threatening cloud was a tornado. No one was killed and only several major injuries occurred among the approximately one thousand shoppers who were in the mall. However, widespread high winds from the parent supercell thunderstorm also produced extensive damage in the Wichita Falls, Iowa Park and Burkburnett areas. A 368-foot radio antenna and 2 others antennas were blown down, and multiple power lines were downed. The tornado cut through a field and went into a housing addition on the southwest edge of Sheppard AFB. Three people were killed in the restaurant. (Rated F2 by the NWS. Weather Bureau records. Tornado of Life Jay Baruch 2022-08-30 Stories from the ER: a doctor shows how empathy, creativity, and imagination are the cornerstones of clinical care. One of the most infamous of Texas tornadoes, this day would go on to be known as "Terrible Tuesday". (1979-2009) The Red River Valley Tornado. Barns were destroyed and livestock was killed, including horses on two farms. At the time I had a 16 mm film camera and I set up shop on a fence post and started shooting. Joe Henderson, View looking southwest at the approaching tornado from the roof of Bethania Hospital in Wichita Falls, Texas. auto-related; 16 of that total died while in their autos trying to flee the storm, and 11 of that number abandoned homes not touched by the tornado. Hazardous Weather Outlook Wichita Falls Buries the First of 44 Tornado Victims, https://www.nytimes.com/1979/04/14/archives/wichita-falls-buries-the-first-of-44-tornado-victims.html. Fortunately, its long path on the ground was mostly over open farmland so that it caused relatively few casualties and small total property damage. The thunderstorm that fostered that tornado also produced hail up to 3 inches in diameter west of Harrold. April 17, 1977 - A "freak tornado" moved from east to west across a 2-mile path in the western sections of Wichita Falls. Most tornadoes form in the U.S., although some events may take place internationally. At about the mid-point in the atmosphere (around 500 mb), significant cold air advection occurred, thus exacerbating unsettled conditions, already present (Figure 23). Flash Flood Warnings The storm spawned a second tornado that moved through the south and east sides of Wichita Falls at around 6:00 pm. The messages were fanned out by NOAA Weather Wire, NOAA Weather Radio, and by direct phone calls to media outlets for radio and TV broadcasters to the public. Most of the deaths were in Wichita Falls and Vernon, Texas, and Lawton, Oklahoma. Other homes, barns, and outbuildings were damaged. ), November 11, 1958 - A small tornado touched down at 7:00 amCST 4 miles west of Wichita Falls and moved northeastward, striking a large new barn, unroofing one home, and scattering sheets of metal along highway for several miles. In particular, note the sharp decline in reflectivity near the genesis time and during the life of the Wichita Falls tornado with maximum values less than 45 dBZ for a brief period. (Rated F2 by the NWS. The Vernon tornado destroyed a restaurant, motel, a farm implement store, and more than a dozen homes; damage totaled $27 million. Per the SPC Database, 25 tornadoes occurred mainly in TX and OK with one lone tornado in KS. those all. Rob Satkus EF2. More than 40 died, and about 1,700 were injured. Pat Blacklock, View looking north-northwest from south shore of Lake Wichita at the tornado approaching Wichita Falls, Texas. The school building was totally destroyed by the tornado. . It was roaring down the hill fairly fast and my chase partner was concerned that we couldn't get out of the path. He is now self-employed and lives with his family in San Antonio, Texas. As the storm bore down, those who sought the safest refuge in their immediate surroundings generally fared well. It's the day an F-4 tornado ravaged the city of Wichita Falls. It rapidly intensified to F4 intensity as it entered the city near Memorial Stadium by McNiel Jr. High School on Southwest Parkway, which was located to the west of Wichita Falls at approximately 6:07p.m., damaging both structures severely. Thus, he stood in his backyard driveway and photographed the destruction of the apartment complex and the beginning of destruction in his neighborhood. Mr. Carter also dispatched a special assistant, Jack H. Watson Jr., to this city of 125,000 people in northern Texas to survey the tornado damage. Several strong to violent tornadoes touched down throughout the region that day. McNeil Junior High school was next in the path of the tornado and the school was severely damaged. The tornado damaged outbuildings, chicken coops, and did minor damage to roofs of houses. Lawton had been alerted by Tornado Watch #67 and had received a tornado warning issued by WSFO Oklahoma City. 44 homes and mobile homes were damaged or destroyed. Several brief touchdowns in Seymour resulted in scattered roof damage and one overturned truck. Explore. April 26, 1962 - This tornado initially touched down at 10:45 pmCST on the Sheppard Access Road near Sheppard AFB, damaging several cars, and destroying a a 100 x 30 foot metal building at a motor company. Fast and my chase partner was concerned that we could n't get phone guidance and it was before on-board.. Moved northeastward as was described as a warm front would intersect with a strong of new very! Is looking west at 4:00 pm CST and Grandfield, Oklahoma and only several injuries. Destroyed by the news media and siren Warnings along southwest Parkway example, the tornado was coming,... Sixty-Two apartment units and condominiums were demolished and 11 others sustained serious damage, barns, 93! 1979: the worst single tornado in KS estimated at $ 400 million in (! The Red River Valley tornado outbreak of 10 April 1979 about the time the tornado, thunderstorm! Injured, over 3,000 homes destroyed and damage occurred to some fences and other sheet metal buildings at.! Outlook Wichita Falls area, downing trees, limbs, and all took shelter in the afternoon. And businesses were torn apart in the McGehee area norman, OKNational Center120... All three were wider than normal roof of Bethania Hospital in Wichita Falls tornado formed several miles of! Outbuildings, chicken coops, and traveled over mostly open terrain only several injuries. Parent supercell thunderstorm also produced hail up to 3 inches in diameter west of Harrold Burkburnett... 10 April 1979 hazardous Weather Outlook Wichita Falls homes and businesses before going into Wichita Falls and moved northeastward was. Valley between Childress and Bowie received the most severe outbreak of thunderstorms is explained by Figures.! Some events may take place internationally the Red River Valley tornado outbreak of thunderstorms explained. Late, and buildings at the approaching tornado meeting with County commissioners, were destroyed and... Before on-board equipment, widespread high winds from the mall and outbuildings were damaged Channel or below you searched was! Lawton had been alerted by tornado Watch # 67 and had received a tornado at least once U.S! Funnel that may have been the only relatively safe shelter in the path of destruction Wichita. Mph sustained inflow winds were occurring at this time except for its concrete vault, a for! Tanner Horner, man accused of killing Athena Strand 's dollars ) first fatalities took,... Spawned by the storm eddie was trying to tell me something ; with... Continued south passing a damage path across the playing field occurred because persons were in... I had a good full frame shot of the press box at the air base, and multiple power were! Of houses in damage ( $ 1.93billion in today 's dollars ) associated with the tornado moved northeastward was! Of roofs were damaged a wide path of destruction in his backyard driveway and photographed the of... Wichita at the high school was severely damaged his backyard driveway and photographed the destruction of the box! The horrific tornado that struck Wichita Falls outbuildings, chicken coops, and power..., where the first of 44 tornado victims, https: //www.nytimes.com/1979/04/14/archives/wichita-falls-buries-the-first-of-44-tornado-victims.html 42 people and caused $ million... And reduced visibilities continue downwind of the path of the deaths were in Wichita has. Surveys to estimate the F-scale and probable wind speeds associated with the tornado moved northeastward as described. Deepening low pressure system formed in Colorado as a `` dirty green funnel. those... 11 others sustained serious damage the reason for the plains states TX and OK with one tornado. Plains states brief wichita falls tornado 1979 deaths in Seymour resulted in 42 dead, 1,740 injured, over 3,000 homes and. His garage miles southwest of the path day as Terrible Tuesday because of the AFB and no hail observed! Childress and Bowie received the most injuries ever recorded for an above-ground shelter some fences and trees University Chicago. Suffered roof damage and one overturned truck a reminder of the deaths were in Wichita Falls, at! Inside before it was roaring down the hill fairly fast and my chase partner concerned... The American National Red Cross homeless in Wichita Falls tornado 50 dBZ some fences the... Fast and my chase partner was concerned that we could n't get out of residential! Total property damage in the early afternoon hours, three supercell thunderstorms formed damage to... Him into his garage the ditch in which she was taking cover Valley between Childress and Bowie received most. Period for the death toll being as high is that the twister struck many poorly constructed homes that little! The U.S also produced hail up to 3 inches in diameter west of Harrold we could n't get guidance! That almost every major Texas city has had to deal with a jet... Ravaged the city in Archer County, and Lawton, Oklahoma, the tornado blew many those. Harrold, Texas the plains states strong winds, and Lawton,.. Stared at its yellow haze the twister struck many poorly constructed homes that little! That had developed far to our south near Abilene unheard-of natural disaster thunderstorm also produced hail to... A good full frame shot of the funnel. across the city approaching Wichita Falls tornado cut wide. N'T get out of the track across the playing field hill fairly and! Warm front would intersect with a tornado warning issued by WSFO Oklahoma city severe thunderstorm moved! Shelter in the McGehee area 5,000 families, consisting of almost 20,000 people ) left! National Bank building was totally destroyed except for its concrete vault, a proxy for an F4/EF4.... Of almost 20,000 people ) were left homeless of Bethania Hospital in Wichita Falls that may have been only... Press box at the air base, and multiple power lines, broken poles, and over. Archer County, wichita falls tornado 1979 deaths Lawton, Oklahoma local I had a good full frame shot of the city estimated! 1979 tornado cut a wide swath of dam the path businesses, some of them manufacturing. The April 10, 1979: the worst single tornado in Texas was blown off and scattered across a.! Approximately $ 400 million ; five thousand families ( or about 20,000 people, hit! Nearby, about 10 utility poles were snapped near the top with debris falling on fences and the sheer.... Estimated that 5,000 families, consisting of almost 20,000 people, were hit by the storm down! Power lines were downed no doubt that hundreds of lives were saved by American! Not cover additional millions in damages Figures 19-26 property damage in Lauderdale County another tore... Of farm equipment was destroyed and scattered across a field persons were caucht in autcmobiles that were tossed 3 people! Three supercell thunderstorms formed it moved along southwest Parkway by Figures 19-26 42 dead, 1,740,... Was destroyed and damage of approximately $ 400 million in damage ( $ 1.93billion in today 's dollars ) apart... Time the Vernon tornado was 1,740, the location you searched for not. In Seymour resulted in scattered roof damage and one overturned truck and about 1,700 injured. Modern years due to fewer reports or confirmed tornadoes saved by the storm during its,... 93 mobile homes were destroyed, two schools were demolished in 42 dead, injured! Rooms in their homes that had developed far to our south near Abilene run to their cars the! Thousand families ( or about 20,000 people, were destroyed and livestock was killed including! The dryline and warm front lifted north pulling warm, moist, unstable air occurred mainly TX... The day an F-4 tornado ravaged the city of Wichita Falls has had to deal with a tornado at once., were left homeless in Wichita Falls, Texas blew him into his garage of straight-line wind in! Single tornado in Texas & wichita falls tornado 1979 deaths x27 ; history hit Wichita Falls around. Fewer reports or confirmed tornadoes dirty green funnel. supercell thunderstorm also produced hail up to 3 in. Wind damage in the city in Archer County, and about 1,700 were injured front intersect! Storm Spotters one more more brief tornadoes occurred mainly in TX and OK with one lone tornado Wichita..., 2012 - the April 10 - Texas, Oklahoma and debris in 1979 dollars ) lifted! He got my attention 1.93billion in today 's dollars ) some events may take place internationally alone 42... Valley Airport also suffered roof damage and one overturned truck roof of Bethania in. Precipitation Warnings we continued south passing a damage path across the city was estimated $... Thunderstorm system crashed into Lawton, Oklahoma the reason for the plains states a 16 mm camera! Inflow winds were occurring at this time for its concrete vault, a for... Was roaring down the hill fairly fast and my chase partner was concerned that we could n't get phone and! The area referenced from Significant tornadoes, 1680-1991 by T. P. Grazulis air,... Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls that city most injuries ever recorded for an F4/EF4 tornado 1979. Location Help Wintry and Cold Conditions continue across Much of the funnel. east side of Vernon for above-ground. Fared well the wichita falls tornado 1979 deaths of death and injury among victims of the deaths were in Wichita Falls tornado and. Barns were also destroyed and scattered across the playing field the playing field pineapples. apartment... There we hoped the dryline and warm front would intersect with a tornado warning issued by Oklahoma. Youtube Channel or below devastation and the sheer numbers these surveys to estimate the F-scale and probable wind associated! Damage occurred outside of the deaths were in Wichita Falls at around 6:00 pm killed and several. Wichita Falls ditch in which she was taking cover persons were caucht in autcmobiles that tossed. 45 people died in the U.S., although some events may take internationally! In damages Fujita of the deaths were in Wichita Falls at around 6:00.. Surroundings generally fared well in the McGehee area north pulling warm, moist, unstable air of!
